MLB Player News

Kayfus, a natural first baseman, is fairly familiar with right field, but he was playing left tonight and, on an ugly sliding attempt at a fly down the line, should have been charged with an error on a fly that hit him on the cup he probably wasn’t wearing. He also made a weak attempt to throw home on an RBI single in the eighth that others might have turned into an out. Kayfus is a reasonable enough bet offensively at age 24, but he’s probably not such a good one that he should be playing in the outfield. There’s just really no excuse for the Guardians not doing more to invest in their offense over the offseason. (We say for at least the fifth year in a row.)

All things considered, it sounds like the 25-year-old southpaw was fortunate to have avoided any serious injuries after he was struck by a comebacker and then got tangled up with a baserunner while attempting to cover first base. He should be okay to make his next scheduled start, but check back over the next few days just to be on the safe side.

Tucker strolled to the dish with the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning and dumped a single into left field to plate two runs, extending the Dodgers’ early lead to 3-0. He then swiped second base before being left stranded there. That was his lone hit in five at-bats on the day while striking out three times. On the season, the 29-year-old outfielder is hitting a disappointing .237/.332/.382 with just five homers, 34 RBI and five stolen bases over 280 plate appearances.

Scott came on to get the final out in the eighth inning with a man on second base and two outs, and he got Brandon Lowe to fly out harmlessly to right field. He then stayed on for the ninth where he struck out Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz in succession to end the ballgame. The 31-year-old southpaw now holds a 2.48 ERA and a 35/3 K/BB ratio over 28 2/3 innings on the season while notching seven saves.

Lowe tagged left-hander Justin Wrobleski for a 383-foot (103.7-mph EV) two-run shot in the fifth inning that pulled the Pirates to within two runs at 5-2. He also drew a walk in the contest. The 31-year-old slugger has made a major impact in the Pirates’ lineup this season, slashing .249/.335/.523 with 16 homers and 45 RBI in 275 plate appearances.

The 25-year-old backstop walloped a 1-1 slider from Justin Wrobleski for a mammoth 440-foot (108.7-mph EV) solo shot that got the Pirates on the board in the fifth inning. He also added a run-scoring double in the eighth that pulled the Bucs to within two at 8-6. Flores finished the evening 2-for-3 plus a walk. Not a bad night’s work for his first big league contest of the season.

Keller also issued four free passes in the contest while striking out three. After navigating a pair of scoreless innings to start the day, the Dodgers broke through for three runs in the third including a solo homer by Shohei Ohtani then tacked on another pair in the fourth inning. Keller generated four swings and misses on 98 pitches on the night, posting a miserable CSW of only 18 percent. He’ll try to put this one behind him and bounce back as he carries a 5.14 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and a 58/27 K/BB ratio (77 innings) into Tuesday’s matchup against the Athletics in West Sacramento. Given how poorly he has pitched over his last three starts, fantasy managers should avoid that one at all costs.

Ohtani had homered for the second consecutive game and was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored before he was surprisingly pinch-hit for in the seventh inning, signaling that something was up. It’s the same knee that Ohtani had surgically repaired back in 2019, so they’re obviously going to proceed out of an abundance of caution. The Dodgers should have an update on his status after the game.

The 26-year-old infielder was acquired from the Rays for cash considerations on Wednesday. He has hit .250/.320/.362 with three homers and 24 stolen bases across 61 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. He’ll add depth infield depth and speed off the bench for the Astros.

The game will be made up on August 20. Expect Thursday’s scheduled starters — Anthony Kay and Martin Perez — to be pushed back to Saturday or skipped altogether depending on how each club wants to align their rotations going forward.

Wrobleski then got tangled up with the runner while covering first base on the play. He’ll head for further evaluation to see what’s going on. Before exiting, the 25-year-old southpaw had allowed four runs on six hits and a pair of walks in his 4 2/3 innings. He exits with a lead and one out shy of qualifying for a victory.